Floor-jack.



.0. PURDY. FLOOR JACK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 1912.

HARVEY O. PURIDY, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO.

FLOOR-JACK.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed October 9, 1912. Serial No. 724,832.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, I'IARVEY O. PURDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Knox, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Floor-Jacks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in floor jacks.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple device of this character whereby the floor board may be nailed at the point where the pressure is applied.

Another object is to so form the device that the operating lever will direct its force at the center of the board engaging member.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in use, Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the board engagingmember with the lever removed, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device, the lever being in elevated position.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings the device comprises a floor engaging member which is formed of a single piece of metal and is in the form of a Y. The legs 10 of the Y have the feet 11 in each of which is formed a groove 12. These grooves are adapted to receive the tongue 13 of the board 14 being acted on. The stem 15 of the Y is slightly curved at 16, so that the end will be slightly ofiset as clearly shown. The end of the stem of the Y is cut away approximately one-half its width, as indicated at 17. The remaining portion 18 of this end being curved up slightly from the plane of the end of the Y and beingprovided with a transverse opening 19'to receive a pivot bolt 20, on which is mounted an operating lever 21. The lower end of the lever 21 is sharpened and is adapted to engage in the surface of the joist when the device is in operation. -The upper face of the remaining portion of the side which is cut away is flush with the stem of the Y so down on to the stem, and will occupy a minimum amount of space.

In the use of the device, the legs of the Y are so placed that the tongue of the board is disposed in the grooves of the feet, after which the lever 21 is raised to' vertical position and given a slight tap with a hammer to force its point into the joist. The movement of the lever toward the board to be clamped, will cause the board engaging member to tightly push the board 14 against the board already nailed. The opening between the legs of the Y permits a nail to be driven into the board when the same is clamped, at the point where the greatest pressure is applied.

With devices heretofore it is necessary to drive the nail in the board to one side of the clamping device. In some instances the boards are so warped that they curve longitudinally, and in such cases the board cannot be nailed where it is clamped tightest and consequently the board cannot be nailed in proper alinement.

It will be noted that at the side of the base of the portion or ear 18 there is a shoulder 17 which serves as a stop when the handle portion of the lever-21 is swung away from the Y-shaped head of the tool. Thus, when the tool is laid down after each use of it and is picked up again for subsequent use, the lever always projects from the same side of the lever of the tool and thus the beveled face at the lower end of the lever is always in the direction of the head of the tool for proper and eflicient use of the tool. If it were not for the shoulder 17, the lever might swing around to a position at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1 when the tool were laid down and the beveled'face would be directed away from the head'ofthe tool so that the lever would be slidable on thejoist in use.

Furthermore, it will be noted thatby reason of the fact that the lever is connected to the head member of the tool by means of a bolt, the lever can be readily disconnected so that the head member may be used alone when desired, as when conditions suggest driving the tongue and groove material with a hammer. The shoulder 17 then presents a striking surface for the hammer, the shoulder 17 being in line with the longitudinal axis of the head member.

What is claimed is:

5 A floor jack comprising a head member having a stem having a terminal shoulder, the end face of which is at right angles to and is intersected by the longitudinal axis of the stem and a perforated ear extending 1 above, beyond and at one side of the sh0ulder, and a lever removably and pivotally connected with the ear above and beyond the shoulder in position to strike the shoulder when the opposite end portion of the 15 lever is swung through an arc of less than 180 degrees from the plane of the upper face of the head member, the opposite end of the lever extending below the head member; the longitudinal face of the lever away from the head member being continuous from 20 end to end and the opposite longitudinal face of the lever being beveled to the first named longitudinal face below the pivotal connection of the lever with the ear.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa- 25 ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY O. PURDY. Witnesses:

ARMER B. ELLIOTT, J. A. SOHAEFFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents. Washington, I). G. 

